assertion
a declaration or statement
clarity
clearness in thought or expression
cogent
convincing; reasonable
coherent
logically connected
cohesive
condition of sticking together
didactic
intended to instruct
discourse
verbal expression or exchange; conversation
eloquence
the ability to speak vividly or persuasively
emphasize
to give special attention to something, to stress
fluid
easily flowing
implication
the act of suggesting or hinting
lucid
easily understood; clear
rhetoric
the art of using language effectively and persuasively
arbiter
a judge who decides a disputed issue
biased
prejudiced
exculpate
to free from guilt or blame
impartial
not in favor of one side or the other, unbiased
incontrovertible
not able to be denied or disputed
integrity
trustworthiness; completeness
objectivity
treating facts without influence from personal feelings or prejudices
penitent
expressing remorse for one's misdeeds
plausible
seemingly valid or acceptable; credible
substantiated
supported with proof or evidence; verified
vindicated
freed from blame
condescending
treating people as weak or inferior
contemptuous
feeling hatred; scornful
despotic
exercising absolute power; tyrannical
dictatorial
domineering; oppressively overbearing
disdain
contempt, scorn
disdain
to regard or treat with contempt; to look down on
haughty
arrogant; vainly proud
imperious
arrogantly domineering or overbearing
patronizing
treating in a condescending manner
convoluted
intricate; complex
cryptic
difficult to comprehend
futile
having no useful purpose; pointless
impede
to slow the progress of
obscure
relatively unknown
obscure
to conceal or make indistinct
quandary
a state of uncertainty or perplexity
indolent
lazy
insipid
uninteresting; unchallenging
listless
lacking energy
torpor
laziness; inactivity; dullness
alienated
removed or disassociated from (friends, family, or homeland)
alliance
a union of two or more groups
disparity
inequality in age, rank, or degree; difference
servile
submissive; like a servant
suppressed
subdued; kept from being circulated
embellish
to make beautiful by ornamenting; to decorate
florid
describing flowery or elaborate speech
opulent
exhibiting a display of great wealth
ornate
elaborately decorated
ostentatious
describing a showy or pretentious display
poignant
profoundly moving; touching
ebullience
intense enthusiasm
effusive
emotionally unrestrained; gushy
egregious
conspicuously bad or offensive
flagrant
extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
frenetic
wildly excited or active
gratuitous
given freely; unearned; unwarranted
superfluous
extra; unnecessary
alleviate
to ease a pain or burden
asylum
a place of retreat or security
auspicious
favorable; promising
benevolent
well-meaning; generous
benign
kind and gentle
mollify
to calm or soothe
reclamation
the act of making something useful again
sanction
to give official authorization or approval
dubious
doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
fabricated
made; concocted to deceive
hypocrisy
the practice of pretending to be something one is not; insincerity
slander
false charges and malicious oral statements about someone
spurious
not genuine
astute
shrewd; clever
clandestine
secretive
coup
a brilliantly executed plan
disingenuous
not straightforward; crafty
ruse
a crafty trick
stratagem
a clever trick used to deceive or outwit
surreptitiously
done by secretive means
wary
on guard
wily
cunning
ambiguous
open to more than one interpretation
ambivalent
simultaneously having opposing feelings; uncertain
apathetic
feeling or showing little emotion
arbitrary
determined by impulse rather than reason
capricious
impulsive and unpredictable
equivocate
to avoid making a definite statement
indifferent
not caring one way or the other
spontaneous
unplanned; naturally occurring
whimsical
subject to erratic behavior; unpredictable
inconsequential
unimportant
superficial
concerned only with what is on the surface or obvious; shallow
tenuous
having little substance or strength; shaky; unsure, weak
trivial
of little importance or significance
assiduous
hard-working
compelling
forceful; urgently demanding attention
diligent
marked by painstaking effort; hard-working
dogged
stubbornly persevering
endure
to put up with; to survive a hardship
intrepid
courageous; fearless
maverick
one who is independent and resists adherence to a group
obdurate
stubborn; inflexible
obstinate
stubbornly adhering to an opinion or a course of action
proliferate
to grow or increase rapidly
tenacity
persistence
vitality
energy; power to survive
assimilation
to absorb; to make similar
consensus
general agreement
context
circumstances of a situation; environment
derived
copied or adapted from a source
incumbent
imposed as a duty; obligatory
inevitable
certain to happen, unavoidable
malleable
easily shaped or formed; easily influenced
subdue
to restrain; to hold back
acquired
developed or learned; not naturally occurring
conception
the ability to form or understand an idea
conviction
a fixed or strong belief
dogmatic
stubbornly adhering to unproved beliefs
enlightening
informative; contributing to one's awareness
impression
a feeling or understanding resulting from an experience
intuition
the power of knowing things without thinking; sharp insight
misconception
an incorrect understanding or interpretation
perception
awareness; insight
perspective
point of view
profound
having great depth or seriousness
inherent
inborn; built-in
innate
possessed from birth; inborn
inveterate
long established; deep-rooted; habitual
omnipotent
all-powerful
proximity
closeness
elusive
difficult to capture, as in something actually fleeting
emigrate
to leave one country or region and settle in another
transient
passing away with time; passing from one place to another
transitory
short-lived or temporary
affable
easy-going; friendly
amenable
responsive; agreeable
camaraderie
good will between friends
cordial
friendly; sincere
facetious
playfully humorous
impinge
hinder; interfere with
lament
express grief for; mourn
melancholy
sadness; depression
sanction
an economic or military measure put in place to punish another country
truncated
shortened; cut off
aesthetic
having to do with the appreciation of beauty
anthology
a collection of literary pieces
contemporary
current, modern; from the same time
dilettante
one with an amateurish or superficial understanding of a field of knowledge
eclectic
made up of a variety of sources or styles
excerpt
a selected part of a passage or scene
genre
describing a category or artistic endeavor
medley
an assortment or a mixture, especially of musical pieces
mural
a large painting applied directly to a wall or ceiling surface
narrative
characterized by the telling of a story
narrative
a story
parody
an artistic work that imitates the style of another work for comic effect
realism
artistic representation that aims for visual accuracy
virtuoso
a tremendously skilled artist
decorous
proper; marked by good taste
equanimity
the quality of being calm and even-tempered; composure
modest
quiet or humble in manner or appearance
propriety
appropriateness of behavior
prudent
exercising good judgment or common sense
serene
calm
staid
unemotional; serious
stoic
indifferent to pleasure or pain; impassive
condemn
to express strong disapproval of; denounce
discredit
to cause to be doubted
disparage
to speak of in a slighting way or negatively; to belittle
pejorative
describing words or phrases that belittle or speak negatively of someone
plagiarism
the act of passing off the ideas or writing of another as one's own
vilify
to make vicious statements about
brusque
rudely abrupt
caustic
bitingly sarcastic or witty
fractious
quarrelsome; unruly
incorrigible
unable to be reformed
ingrate
an ungrateful person
insolent
insulting in manner or speech
notorious
known widely and usually unfavorably; infamous
pugnacious
combative; belligerent
reprehensible
worthy of blame
brittle
easily broken when subjected to pressure
deleterious
having a harmful effect; injurious
enmity
mutual hatred or ill-will
heinous
hatefully evil; abominable
malfeasance
wrongdoing, misconduct
malice
extreme ill-will or spite
putrid
rotten
rancorous
hateful; marked by deep-seated ill-will
toxic
poisonous
archaic
characteristic of an earlier period; old-fashioned
hackneyed
worn out through overuse; trite
medieval
referring to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned
obsolete
no longer in use; old-fashioned
austere
without decoration; strict
mediocrity
the state or quality of being average; of moderate to low quality
mundane
commonplace; ordinary
ponderous
extremely dull
prosaic
unimaginative; dull
sedentary
not migratory; settled
apprehension
anxiety or fear about the future
harbinger
something that indicates what is to come; a forerunner
ominous
menacing; threatening
premonition
a feeling about the future
timorous
timid; fearful about the future
trepidation
uncertainty; apprehension
innovative
introducing something new
naive
lacking sophistication
nascent
coming into existence; emerging
novel
strikingly new or unusual
novice
a beginner
candor
sincerity; openness
frank
open and sincere in expression; straightforward
arid
describing a dry, rainless climate
conflagration
a widespread fire
nocturnal
of or occurring in the night
sonorous
producing a deep or full sound
ample
describing a large amount of something
comprehensive
large in scope or content
copious
plentiful; having a large quantity
permeated
spread or flowing throughout
pervasive
dispersed throughout
prodigious
enormous
replete
abundantly supplied: filled to capacity
exemplary
commendable; worthy of imitation
idealize
to consider perfect
laudatory
giving praise
paramount
of chief concern or importance
venerated
highly respected
catalog
to make an itemized list of
facile
done or achieved with little effort; easy
fastidious
possessing careful attention to detail; difficult to please
hierarchy
a group organized by rank
meticulous
extremely careful and precise
pragmatic
practical
solvent
able to pay one's debts
abstract
not applied to actual objects
anachronism
something out of place in time or sequence
anthropomorphism
the attribution of humanlike characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or forces of nature
apology
defense of an idea
apparatus
equipment; a group of machines
apposition
a grammar construction in which a noun (or noun phrase) is placed with another as an explanation
archetype
a perfect example; an original pattern or model
chiasmus
an inversion in the second of two parallel phrases
gesticulating
making gestures while speaking
hypothetical
existing only as an assumption or speculation
lexicon
a word book describing language with definitions; a dictionary
metonymy
a type of figurative language in which one term is substituted for another term with which it is closely associated
oxymoron
an apparent contradiction of terms
panegyric
statement of high praise
paradigm
an example or model
parallelism
a grammar construction in which two identical syntactic constructions are used
period
long, complex, grammatically correct sentence
pernicious
causing great harm
phenomenon
an unusual, observable event
propitious
presenting favorable circumstances; auspicious
rational
logical; motivated by reason rather than feeling
sardonic
disdainfully or ironically humorous; harsh, bitter, or caustic
syllogism
a form of deductive reasoning; a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion
synecdoche
a form of metonymy that's restricted to cases where a part is used to signify the whole
theoretical
lacking application or practical application
active voice
the opposite of passive voice; essentially any sentence with an active verb
ad hominem
an attack on the person rather than the issues at hand (a common fallacy)
alliteration
the repetition of a phonetic sound at the beginning of several words in a sentence
allusion
a reference that recalls another work, another time in history, another famous person, and so forth
anadiplosis
a wonderful technique of repetition in which the last word of the clause begins the next clause, creating a connection of ideas important to the author's purpose in some way
analogy
a term that signifies a relational comparison of or similarity between two objects or ideas
anaphora
the deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive poetic lines, prose sentences, clauses, or paragraphs
anastrophe
the reversal of the natural order of words in a sentence or line of poetry
antithesis
an observation or claim that is in opposition to your claim or an author's claim
aphorism
a brief statement of an opinion or elemental truth
apostrophe
prayer-like, this is a direct address to someone who is not present, to a deity or muse, or to some other power
appositive
also called a noun phrase, this modifies the noun next to it
argument from ignorance
an argument stating that something is true because it has never been proven false
asyndeton
the deliberate omission of conjunctions from a series of related independent clauses
bandwagon
also called vox populi, this argument is the "everyone's doing it" fallacy
begging the question
this argument occurs when the speaker states a claim that includes a word or phrase that needs to be defined before the argument can proceed
cause and effect
another fallacy, this is also known as post hoc ergo propter hoc (Latin for "after this, therefore because of this"), and it falls under the general umbrella of a causality fallacy or false cause
chiasmus
this is an ABBA syntactical structure rather than the more common parallel ABAB structure
complex sentence
a sentence structure that is a combination of a dependent clause and an independent clause
compound sentence
a sentence structure made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction
compound-complex sentence
a combination of a compound and a complex sentence
connotation
the associations or moods that accompany a word
declarative sentence
a basic statement or an assertion; the most common type of sentence
deductive
a form of logical argumentation that uses claims or premises, where the author assumes that you will accept the claims as true and that you will then deduce the correct conclusion from the accepted premises at the outset
denotation
the opposite of connotation; quite literally the dictionary meaning of a word
dependent clause
this clause contains a noun and a verb but is set up with a subordinate conjunction, which makes the clause an incomplete thought
dialect
a regional speech pattern; the way people talk in different parts of the world
diction
the particular words an author uses in an essay
distractor
a possible answer that seems to be correct, but is either wrong or is not as good as other answers
ellipsis
three dots that indicate words have been left out of a quotation; they also can be used to create suspense
epanalepsis
like chiasmus, this figure repeats the opening word or phrase at the end of the sentence to emphasize a statement or idea, but it is not an ABBA reversal
epistrophe
a minor device, this is the ending of a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or words
ethos
one of the fundamental strategies of argumentation identified by Aristotle; basically an appeal to credibility
etymology
the study of the origin of words and their historical uses
euphemism
to use a safer or nicer word for something others find inappropriate or unappealing
exclamatory sentence
a sentence that conveys excitement or force
fallacy
a failure of logical reasoning
false analogy
an argument using an inappropriate metaphor
false dilemma
also known as an either/or fallacy; the suggestion is made in the argument that the problem or debate only has two solutions; can also be called the fallacy of the excluded middle
gerund
a verb ending in "ing" that serves as a noun
hyperbole
an exaggeration, fairly common in nonfiction prose arguments, that bolsters an argument
imagery
any time one of the five senses (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory) is evoked by what you have read, you have encountered this
imperative sentence
a command
independent clause
a clause that can stand alone as a sentence; it must have a noun and a verb (subject and predicate)
inductive
a form of logical argumentation that requires the use of examples
infinitive
the word "to" plus a verb, usually functioning as a noun, and often as a predicate in a sentence
interrogative sentence
a question
irony
the use of words to express something other than and often the opposite of the literal meaning
jargon
a pattern of speech and vocabulary associated with a particular group of people
juxtaposition
making one idea more dramatic by placing it next to its opposite
logos
an appeal to reason; one of the fundamental strategies of argumentation identified by Aristotle
loose sentence
an independent clause followed by all sorts of debris, usually dependent clauses
malapropism
a wonderful form of word play in which one word is mistakenly substituted for another that sounds similar
metaphor
a figure of speech in which what is unknown is compared to something that is known in order to better gauge its importance
metonymy
a minor figure of speech in which the name of one thing is substituted for another with which it is closely associated
non sequitur
this literally means "it does not follow"; this is an argument by misdirection and is logically irrelevant
object
a noun toward which thought, feeling, or action is directed
onomatopoeia
a minor figure of speech in which a sound imitates the thing or action associated with it
oxymoron
two words that together create a sense of opposition
paradox
a major figure of speech in rhetorical analysis that seeks to create a mental discontinuity, which then forces the reader to pause and seek clarity
parallel syntax (or parallelism)
a pattern of speech or language that creates a rhythm of repetition often combined with some other language of repetition
parentheticals
phrases, sentences, and words inside parentheses ( )
participle
a verbal (expressing action or a state of being) that is used as an adjective and most often ends in -ing or -ed
passive voice
the opposite of active voice; in this voice, something happens to someone
pathos
an appeal to emotion; one of the fundamental strategies of argumentation identified by Aristotle
periodic sentence
a sentence with several dependent clauses that precede the independent clause
personification
giving human attributes to non-human things
phrase
a grouping of words that define or clarity; a group of words that is not a sentence because there is no verb
point of view
the perspective from which the writer chooses to present his or her story (fiction) or essay (nonfiction)
poisoning the well
a person or character is introduced with language that suggests that he is not at all reliable before the listener/reader knows anything about him
polysyndeton
the use of consecutive coordinating conjunctions even when they are not needed
predicate
the formal term for the verb that conveys the meaning or carries the action of the sentence
predicate adjective
an adjective that follows a linking verb and modifies the subject of the sentence
predicate nominative
a noun or pronoun that uses a linking verb to unite, describe, or rename the noun in the subject of the sentence
premise
another word for a claim; a statement of truth, at least to the person making the argument
prompt
in essay questions, this has two definitions: the correct one and the common one; the correct one is that this is the paragraph or language that defines the essay task (doesn't include the passage itself); the common definition of this is one you will hea
pun
a play on words; in an argument, this usually calls humorous attention to a particular point
red herring
an argument that distracts the reader by raising issues irrelevant to the case
repetition
a fundamental form of rhetorical stress that calls the reader's attention to a particular word, phrase, or image for emphasis of meaning
rhetorical question
a question whose answer is assumed, this is designed to force the reader to respond in a predetermined manner and is a significant tool in the study of rhetoric
rhetorical shift
this occurs when the author of an essay significantly alters his or her diction, syntax, or both
simile
a crucial figure of speech in an argument when what is unknown is compared to something that is known using the word "like," or "as," or "than" in order to better perceive its importance
simple sentence
an independent clause; has a subject and a verb, and that's pretty much it
slippery slope (also called domino theory)
this fallacy of argumentation argues that one thing inevitably leads to another
stem
in the multiple-choice section, this is the question you are asked to complete with the given possible answers
straw man
this occurs when a person engaging in an argument defines his opponent's position when the opponent is not present and defines it in a manner that is easy to attack
subject
the formal term for the noun that is the basic focus of the sentence; it is who or what is doing the action in the sentence
subordinate conjunction
a conjunction that makes an independent clause into a dependent clause
syllogism
in its basic form, this is a three-part argument construction in which two premises lead to a truth
synecdoche
a minor figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole
syntax
the study of the rules of grammar that define the formation of sentences
synthesis
to unite or synthesize a variety of sources to achieve a common end
theme
the basic message or meaning conveyed through elements of character and conflict; appears often in literature and is paralleled in nonfiction prose by an argument's thesis
thesis
the writer's statement of purpose; the focal intent of the essay
tricolon
a sentence with three equally distinct and equally long parts
understatement
this creates exaggeration by showing restraint; it is the opposite of hyperbole
zeugma
a minor device in which two or more elements in a sentence are tied together by the same verb or noun; these are especially acute if the noun or verb does not have the exact same meaning in both parts of the sentence
rhetoric
the study of the effective use of language; the art of using language effectively and persuasively
ethos
appeal based on the character of the speaker
logos
appeal based on logic or reason
pathos
appeal based on emotion
rhetorical triangle
author, audience, purpose
tone
the manner in which a writer expresses his/her attitude toward the subject and audience; mainly expressed through diction, syntax, and POV
simile
a statement using 'like' or 'as' to compare two unlike objects
figurative language
imaginative language that compares one thing to another in ways that aren't necessarily logical but that are nevertheless striking, original, and 'true'; often departs from the literal meaning
connotation
the moods/associations/implications of a word or phrase, as opposed to its exact meaning
denotation
the literal meaning of a word; the dictionary definition
satire
the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, and humor in exposing or denouncing vice or folly
euphemism
substitution of an expression that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the receiver with an agreeable or less offensive expression or to make it less troublesome for the speaker
ambiguity
the presence of two or more possible meanings in any passage; not clear
irony
the use of language to suggest the opposite of the literal meaning or incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs
oxymoron
two words that create a sense of opposition; a figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side-by-side
paradox
a statement or a proposition that seems senseless or self-contradictory, but in reality, it may be true
fallacy
a failure of logical reasoning
exemplification
showing by example
description
rhetorical strategy that uses sensory details to portray a person, place, or thing
narration
telling a story; a specific way of telling a story
compare/contrast
the process of identifying similarities and differences between things
division/classification
dividing a subject into categories and analyzing the characteristics of each category
cause/effect
two events where one event brings about or caused the other; the first event is the cause, the second is the effect; it explains why something happens or is likely to happen
absolutes
a choice in which something must be one way or the other - there is no middle ground
rapport
a relationship that individuals build
process analysis
a descriptive chronology of the stages in the development of a process
definition
the formal statement of the meaning of a word or phrase
argumentation
the process of forming reasons, justifying beliefs, and drawing conclusions with the aim of influencing the thoughts and/or actions of others
double-bind
a situation of conflict from which there is no escape; an irresolvable dilemma
emotional words
also known as loaded words, these can demonstrate a writer's intense feelings or emotions; they display an author's voice
humor
a specific tone or attitude a writer may use in an essay by attempting to be comedic or amusing